Complaints Mechanism Activity Report 2013

The EIB Complaints Mechanism Activity Report 2013 was prepared in accordance with the EIB-CM Principles, Terms of Reference and Rules of Procedure as approved by the EIB’s Board of Directors. It includes the EIB related cases dealt with by the European Ombudsman who also releases its own Activity Report, covering all EU Institutions and bodies.

The 2013 EIB-CM Activity Report outlines the activities performed and includes:

• An overview of its Principles, Functions, Policies and Procedures, Resources and Organisation;
• A statistical analysis of complaints handled, including the complaints against the EIB brought to the European Ombudsman;
• Some examples of cases and themes;
• International and inter-institutional co-operation with peer Accountability Mechanisms of other International Financial Institutions and Multilateral Development Banks;
• Inter-institutional co-operation, within and beyond the EU framework, and dialogue with Civil Society Organisations.

Since 2007 the number of complaints has more than doubled and the trend of an increasing number of more complex complaint cases continued in 2013. During 2013 the EIB-CM recruited new staff and for the first time a reduced the stock of outstanding complaints that remained ‘open’ at the end of the year. In addition a record number of complaints were closed and handled within the time frame set by the CM Policies and Procedures. 2013 also brought the signature of mediation agreements in 3 cases handled under the Mediation function.

In 2013, one case was escalated to the European Ombudsman and closed in 2014. In 2013 the EO closed six cases, brought to the EO against the EIB in the years before, all with no maladministration found. In one case, a “further remark“ was made and in three cases the EO established that the Bank had already undertaken the steps to remedy the issue brought before him.

The increasing complexity of the cases was borne out by the fact that a number of cases brought to the EIB-CM carry over several years of handling. Some cases also require extended policy coordination in the cooperation with other IFIs  The EIB-CM has been active in the Network of the IFI’s Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAM), identifying trends, sharing experiences and lessons learnt as well as to identify and formalise collaboration, notably in complaint cases in co-financed projects.